Underneath her skirt: staging Samuel Beckett's Happy Days as an embodiment of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique

Abstract:

This graduate project explores the struggle of Winnie in Samuel Beckett's 1960 play Happy Days through the lens of Betty Friedan's 1963 book The Feminine Mystique. Both works feature women, housewives in particular, who are physically and metaphorically trapped. By studying contemporary literature by feminist authors, including Debora L. Spar, Sheryl Sandberg, and Naomi Wolf, I explore how the societal pressures faced by Winnie and the women presented by Betty Friedan continue to entrap and inhibit both working women and housewives today. As the advertisements of the 1950s and 1960s glorified the domesticated housewife role, contemporary works will be explored in this project as well, such as director Jennifer Siebel-Newsom's 2011 documentary Miss-Representation, which shows how heavily the media continues to influence women with sexist images. By leading women to micromanage themselves, obsess over household issues such as cleaning and fixating on their looks, oppressive media images steer women away from pursuing independent careers, positions of power, and hobbies which are imperative for self-fulfillment. Winnie remains encased within the confines of the feminine mystique as it takes on the form of a mound. While the women Friedan discusses and interviews speak of an identity crisis and a feeling of nonexistence, Winnie actually embodies it. I will create my own version of the mound from Happy Days by using articles Friedan references within her book, fashion images, household appliances, cleaning supplies, style, and advertisements of the late 1950s and early 1960s eras. I will research seven versions of the mound for reference.

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